Racing in the Street Lyrics

[Verse 1]
I got a '69 Chevy with a three-ninety-six
Fuelie heads and a Hurst on the floor

She's waiting tonight down in the parking lot
Outside the 7-Eleven store

Me and my partner Sonny built her straight out of scratch
And he rides with me from town to town
We only run for the money, got no strings attached
We shut 'em up and then we shut 'em down

[Chorus]
Tonight, tonight the strip's just right
I wanna blow 'em off in my first heat

Summer's here and the time is right
For racin' in the street


[Verse 2]
We take all the action we can meet
And we cover all the northeast states
When the strip shuts down, we run 'em in the street
From the fire roads to the interstate

Now, some guys, they just give up livin'
And start dying little by little, piece by piece
Some guys come home from work and wash up
Then go racin' in the street
[Chorus]
Tonight, tonight the highway's bright
Out of our way, mister, you best keep
'Cause summer's here and the time is right
For racin' in the street

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About

Genius Annotation

Released as the fifth track on Darkness on the Edge of Town, this ballad has become a staple of the Springsteen catalogue.

Here, Springsteen’s haunted voice echoes that of his speaker. A man trying to run away from his problems and his mundane life. He can only get his thrills from racing cars at night in hopes of forgetting all of his other obligations.

This song touches the idea the vehicle, the machine is more holy than God or religion in America not unlike Henry Adam’s ideas from ‘The Dynamo and the Virgin’. The machine is a way to cleanse the soul and feel alive.

Q&A

Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning

What did Bruce Springsteen say about "Racing in the Street"?
Genius Answer

During his famous live concerts, Springsteen has said that this song is inspired by a small fire road nearby his house in Asbury Park, New Jersey, and by the young men who would race their hot rods there.

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